Growing on Common Ground

The Common Ground model provides quality, long-term and affordable housing and support services to people who were previously homeless and low wage earners. In collaboration with TasTAFE, tenants at Common Ground’s Campbell Street and Goulburn Street facilities in Hobart have been given the skills to establish sustainable enterprises including growing vegetables and cooking healthy food.

TasTAFE teachers worked with tenants onsite at Common Ground to deliver three enterprise projects – Cleaning Cars, Growing Vegetables and Cooking Food. They provided both accredited and non-accredited training in basic vocational and employability skills to tenants, complemented by a comprehensive support structure from Common Ground support staff.

The programs taught practical skills such as planting vegetables and preparing and cooking recipes but also provided tenants with skills such as problem solving, planning, team-work, organisation and customer service. These skills have improved tenants’ confidence and self esteem and have also given them the basic skills needed to enter the workforce if this is their goal. The projects were a way of introducing participants who may previously have been disengaged from education to accredited training.

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Tasmania is a United Nations recognised Regional Centre of Expertise

We are a growing network of leaders in sustainability research, training and education. Together we can harness the full potential of learning to help more people develop the skills and capacity needed to protect our planet and ensure social and cultural prosperity for all.